Up in smoke

I'm approaching six months with out a cigarette. It's been long enough that I don't remember what I felt like when I did smoke (or what I smelled like). The fingers I used to hold my cigarettes have lost the yellow tinge that I thought was going to last forever. It seems that my sense of smell has improved, I can tell when I wake up late at night if the downstairs neighbors are smoking or not.

There are very few times I even think about wanting a smoke. The other day I was telling Phrank that one of the few times I find myself wanting one is after mopping the floors. She thought that was odd, I think. Although, the post mopping smoke was a habit I had for many years at the various gas stations I worked at. That's the thing about smoking, smokers use a cigarette as a reward or a moment to catch their breath (ironic as that may be).

The big test for me was probably driving back to Indiana by myself. I've been told over the years that road trips are a big deal breaker for people trying to quit. I can see that. I'd tried the drive before without smoking and it was pretty tough but this time I'd been off them long enough that it wasn't so bad. There were those moments late at night after the coffee had long stopped working that I would want one. Just as something to keep me awake.

Anyway, it seems that I'm going to keep this not smoking thing up. I kind of like not having to be outside when it's freaking cold. And my clothes don't seem to smell as bad, not to mention my car. Well the car still smells but that's just that french fry I lost.

Catching a sound wave

It's just my luck that I discover that Sleater-Kinney was one of the greatest rock bands several months after they go on indefinite hiatus. The local library system has several of their albums and if I see on I'll grab it to give it a spin. Last Sunday, the album The Woods from 2005 (which apparently is their last album) was in so I grabbed it. I kind of don't want to return it. When I finally popped it in I was blown away. I've liked the other records I've heard by them but this one is something different. It seems to have all the elements of noise that make a good rock record for me. Just enough dissonance, catchy hooks and lyrics that seems to tell stories (and I'm beginning to think there is a theme to this album).

Due to such a wide selection of music at my local library (and a fresh stack of CDs from Paradox that cam in the mail yesterday) I am once again completely behind in my music. It going to be time to play catch up. And that doesn't even take into consideration the actual albums I've been picking up at thrift stores and garage sales.

There could be far worse things than having a lot of music to catch up on. And Phrank did get me one of the better Sonic Youth albums (Murray Street) to come out in the 00's (on CD and vinyl no less). That one I've actually listened to enough to come to that conclusion (and if you don't have it, get it).

And I still have plenty of room on my iPod.

Voices on the phone

So I finally got the customer I was waiting to get. That would be the one that couldn't spell CNN. I'd been waiting for her since I hit the floor. There have been other people I've talked to who probably shouldn't have computers or access to the Internet. My coworker, Larry, was lucky in that he got her is first few days but that time she couldn't spell HBO. His was even better because that time he had to tell her HomeBoy Out to get her to spell it right. I just told her CharlieNancyNancy.

I use CNN.com as a test page because the page updates every thirty minutes or so. That way I know that it not a page loading from temporary files. Sometimes I get the guy that thinks I am trying to brainwash him by directing him to that site. Usually it's something like "you know they are part of the liberal media" or "I get my news from Fox, bub." Amazingly I have to explain that I didn't pick CNN because of their content but the fact that the frontpage stays pretty current. Although I have this sneaking suspicion that one day someone is going to be seriously offended that I've asked them to go to CNN and get so mad they'll want to talk to my supervisor.

I'm not sure about all of those people that live in Southern California.